There are many applications in which the remote detection of an event or the measurement of a quantity from a distance requires ascertaining the origin location of the event. An example of this application is the now common infrared thermometer with a laser pointer incorporated within. With an infrared thermometer, the user activates the thermometer to take a reading. The laser pointer indicates the spot where the measurement is taking place. Some infrared thermometers allow the user to select if the laser pointer is active during the measurement or not but the activation still takes place with the on/off switch. Another instrument that reads from a distance is the ultrasonic leak detector such as in my previous U.S. Pat. No. 7,051,577, where the location of a distant target is pointed to by a laser pointer incorporated in the leak detector. In this case, the laser pointer is usually in a parabolic dish, sometimes called a long-range module. Similar to an infrared thermometer, the leak detector offers the user the option to activate the laser pointer. Yet another example of an instrument that takes measurements at a distance is a thermographic camera. Some of these thermographic cameras also incorporate a laser pointer. It should be appreciated that these applications are just some of the examples of instruments incorporating laser pointers. All of these instruments, however, use the laser pointer passively much like laser pointers used in presentations. The user activates the laser pointer to identify the target or the point of interest either using a dedicated control or the on/off button for control of the instrument.
Improvements have been made to the basic laser pointing systems incorporated on remote sensing devices. Such improvements include visibly outlining the energy zone to be measured by a radiometer. This type of infrared thermometer is available from Omega Engineering, Inc. of Stamford, Conn. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,639. In this particular device, the laser is directed in a circular pattern about the energy zone to be measured. There are, however, opportunities to advance the utility of remote sensing devices further. For instance, in situations where the leak or sound point cannot be reached, such as in electrically energized systems, there is a need for a viable approach to search for a leak, arcing, or hotspot. This need is in contrast to the capabilities provided by the prior art in which the laser pointers contemplate a known area of interest.